Altria Group (MO) reported strong third-quarter results, with earnings of 48 cents per share. Earnings were 2 cents above the Zacks Consensus Estimate and up 4.3% year-over-year. Profits were primarily driven by the company’s cost savings efforts and growth in the cigar unit. Net revenues increased 20.3% year-over-year to $6.3 billion, primarily driven by cigar segment results that increased 56.1%. The cigarette segment revenues increased only 10.7% for the quarter, as it was impacted by higher pricing related to the Apr 1, 2009, federal excise tax (FET) increase. Altria’s smokeless products segment posted revenues of $352 million. Altria had acquired UST and its smokeless tobacco business, USSTC, on Jan 6, 2009. (As a result, financial results are from Jan 6 through Sep 30, 2009). Total industry cigarette shipments declined approximately 10%, as expected, while cigarette shipments for the company declined 16.4% after adjustments in trade inventories. ...

Altria Group (MO) recently reported strong second-quarter results, as adjusted earnings increased 8.7% to 50 cents from 46 cents in the prior-year quarter, primarily driven by the smokeless tobacco category.

Net revenues increased 33% year-over-year to $6.7 billion, driven by cigarette segment results that increased 22.5%. The company was able to pass on the increase in federal taxes by raising prices, which, in turn, raised segment revenue. The acquisition of UST and cigars (up 16.8%) also contributed favorably to the top line.

Total industry cigarette shipments declined 7%, as expected, while cigarette shipments for the company declined 10.4% after adjustments in trade inventories and calendar differences. Volume for the company's core brand Marlboro also declined 5.7% and its market share declined 0.6 points. Competitors stepped up promotional activity in April and May, widening the price gap between Marlboro and the lowest priced brands by about 50%. Virginia Slims, Parliament, and

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a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SUNq1diWT3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bSjmELRaRnY/s1600-h/Cigarette.jpg"img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 231px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_T9VXVyuEITg/SUNq1diWT3I/AAAAAAAAAmk/bSjmELRaRnY/s320/Cigarette.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5279180654902660978" //abr /Now that Barrack Obama is the president-elect, the United Stated will have the first smoking president in many years. Although he has made plans to quit smoking, he admits that he still hasn't yet stopped entirely. Will this have an effect on the consumption of cigarettes and tobacco? If you think so, and you have no objection to investing in cigarette stocks, you may want to consider the tobacco companies, especially because of their extremely high yields.br /br /Vector Group Ltd. (VGR) is a Florida based company that has numerous brands of cigarettes including Liggett, Grand Prix, Eve, Pyramid, USA and nicotine-free Quest. The stock has a PE of 15 a PEG of 1.25, and pays a yield of 11.7%.br /br /Reynolds American Inc. (RAI) makes and markets cigarettes and other ...